The Tide
by Fluttering Wings
Summary: In a world filled with hatred and death, who can survive? War rages for ten long and gruesome years, and Harry's entire family feels the effects. Can Harry's children and wife survive if he cannot?


_And there's three, count 'em three_

_children playing on the beach_

_They were eager to learn,_

_to be taught and to teach_

To the world, Harry Potter was a hero. He valiantly fought to his death, and to the death of his enemy. But to four people in the world, he was family. He was a great man. He was the father of three precious children.

Harry threw down his opponent. It had been a full ten years since he graduated from Hogwarts. He was determined to return home to his three children and loving wife. Yes, Harry and Hermione Potter had started a wonderful life together. Some thought they were too young, but they were in love and determined to life full lives with each other . . .

Fate was against Harry in this aspect. He lived a wonderful life; he was a great father and husband. But Voldemort was able to get the best of him. After months of dueling, both opponents were weak. Harry was clinging onto life. He finally cast the finishing spell, ridding the world of Voldemort once and for all. But it was too much for him. He was transferred to St. Mungo's the moment he was found, barely alive.

Harry's children nervously awaited today's results. Every day was the same, waiting for news, sighing relief, and then returning to the worrying the next day. They walked along the beach behind their home, eager to see their father and know he was safe.

_There's Veronica_

_She's biting her lip_

_as she watches the waves turn white at the tip _

Veronica Potter sat at the water's edge. The ten-year-old girl was stunningly beautiful, much like her mother turned out. Her bright green eyes reflected the water as she thought about her life. In ten short years, she had witnessed so much. The war was an on and off process. It seemed time would stand still for a year and peace would start to spread, only for Voldemort to unleash his power and hatred once again. She silently watched the waves crash in front of her, not even hearing the deafening roar. She just wanted her father home . . .

_And there's Vada_

_Radiating with joy_

_and luckily she still can't stand the sight of a boy _

Vada walked along the gentle hills of sand. At the tender age of eight, she was quite a lovely young girl. But she knew deep down that Veronica always got the attention, and always would. She danced her way down the beach; Vada was well-known for never having dampened spirits. She felt so sure that today would be the day that her father returned. She could almost picture seeing her mother and father hugging inside, back from their long hospital trip. Her smile faded as she thought of her parents. Harry had been away for so long; Hermione was a shell of herself while he was away. Now they were both at the hospital at all times. Vada didn't like St. Mungo's. It was full of sad people who patted her back and wished her luck. She didn't understand. What was wrong? Daddy would be home soon; he was just sick. He would be home soon.

_And lastly there's Dade_

_His hair dances in the wind_

_and he's wondering what love is_

_And why it has to end _

_And he can't understand_

_how everyone goes on breathing when true love ends _

Dade Potter was the spitting image of young Harry. His ever-untidy black hair blew fiercely in the ocean wind. He sat on the edge of the dock, staring deep into the horizon. At the age of six, he had been through more than most adults. He was as close to a genius as a six-year-old could get, much like his mother was. He thought of all the people he knew. Dade had a deep mind for such a young age. Though he didn't know completely what had been going on during his life, he knew that so many people were dying at the hand of his father's enemy. His best friend, Frankie Longbottom, was found dead last week. His Aunt Ginny was found yesterday, killed by Uncle Draco. His own father was laying in St. Mungo's as life steadily faded. Dade thought long and hard about these people. Their lives were ripped from them, and the love that others felt seemed to wash away with the tide. How can the rest of the world go on as normal when his life was full of such tragedies?

_His mother whispers quietly . . . _

'_Heaven's not a place that you go when you die_

_It's that moment in life when you actually feel alive_

_So live for the moment . . . '_

He remembered his mother's words. He inquired about love last time he saw her. Teary eyed, she tried to explain to her youngest child. She tried to explain that love is heaven on earth. It's when you feel your entire life before you, when nothing matters but the ones you love, when you feel alive within this dark and dead world.

'_...And take this advice, live by every word_

_Love is just a hoax so forget anything that you have heard_

_and live for the moment now'_

Love is only a passing thing in today's world. People die, and though they are not forgotten, life goes on. Life can go on. Dade angrily threw a rock into the waves. Is that what love is like? It's there for a while, but then swept away when something more powerful comes along? He felt so insignificant sitting on that dock. He knew how much his parents loved him. He knew how much they loved each other. But what would happen if his father didn't survive?

_And there's three, count 'em three_

_children growing on the beach_

_They were eager to learn,_

_to be taught and to teach_

The three continued to silently wait on the lonesome beach. The tension grew as the cloudy day progressed. Something felt wrong . . . they had never gone this long without word from the hospital. The children began to worry even more as the day slipped by, still without a word from the outside world.

_There's Veronica_

_She's licking her lips_

_as she waits for her real, first passionate kiss _

Veronica tried to think of something to ease her suffering. So many deaths, and now her own father's was upon her. She remembered the fairy tales. The girls always seemed to suffer, but in the end Prince Charming always came and kissed all the problems away. She licked her lips as she hoped she would end up in a castle where her problems were whisked away from her. Deep down, Veronica knew this was absurd . . . but the thought sure helped for the moment.

_And there's Vada_

_Can't admit her jealousy_

_of her sister Veronica, and how she's so pretty_

Vada continued walking along the sandy hills. She could make out the form of her sister sitting at the shore. Waves kept pouring around her, but Veronica didn't seem to care. She was so lost in thought. Vada admired her sister's strength. Though only two years separated them, Veronica seemed so much older. That's what the war did to people. It forced young children like the Potters to grow up and see life in the eyes of adults. Vada stared at the limp form of her sister. She was so much prettier . . . she had definitely gotten Hermione's good looks. It seemed like she already had many boys around her and flaunted her good looks. Sure, Vada was pretty. But she was also naive. She wasn't ready for the hard life in front of her. Also lost in her own mind, Vada wandered closer to the shore.

_Lastly there's Dade_

_Still sitting on the dock_

_Ponders his life, and he skips his rocks_

_And he wonders when his father will return_

_but he's not coming back_

He had a hard life, but Dade was well adapted to it. His mind was warped from the tender stages it should be to the maturity of a young adult. He sat calmly on the dock behind his beautiful home, taking his anger out on the tiny rocks around him. He wanted his father home. Harry had not been there for his children as much as he would have liked, but he was a great father nonetheless. His children radiated with joy when they were together. The Potters were truly the perfect family when the horrors of Voldemort were not lurking in every corner. Dade gazed the smooth stone as it skipped across the ocean. Yes, he wanted Harry home. He wanted him home more than anything. He longed for his parents, or at least word of them. Today was different from all of the other days. Why had no one come to them today?

_And he can't understand_

_how everyone goes on breathing when true love ends_

_His mother whispers quietly . . . _

'_Heaven's not a place that you go when you die_

_It's that moment in life when you actually feel alive_

_So live for the moment_

_And take this advice, live by every word_

_Love is just a hoax so forget everything that you have heard_'

He once again was reminded of his mother's words. Love is fake; it's just a picture painted for people too weak to live without this feeble hope. His father was dying and his mother was grief-stricken. There was so little hope in his short life. Everything seemed to ride on his father's life. Without it, there couldn't be a Potter family. He stared hard into the ocean. Love rose and fell just like the waves in front of him. There was too much death to love someone for long. Everyone would die, just like the waves washing upon the shore, ending their short life.

_And there's three, count 'em three_

_children missing from the beach_

_They were eager to learn,_

_to be taught and to teach_

Hermione Apparated into her large beach-front home. It was all over. The last breath of Harry Potter was spent. She threw all the pictures off the wall as she made for her bedroom. Her life was over as far as she was concerned. He was gone. He had given his life up for the safety of the world, and now her own life was insignificant. He was gone. She lost consciousness when she arrived at her bed. The memories were too much for her. Hermione couldn't bear to face her three precious children, still outside, oblivious that their mother was home. They would just remind her of him. She didn't even notice what was happening outside.

_But the sad thing_

_is that they never lived to see the age of fifteen_

_due to neglect from their mother_

_Who was bed ridden by her ex-lover, their father_

_She didn't even notice, or pay much attention_

_as the tide came in and swept her three into the ocean_

_Now all her advice, it seems useless_

The weather steadily worsened, as if the heavens were lamenting Harry Potter's slow and painful death. Vada approached her sister, still sitting within the crashing waves. She tried to comfort Veronica, but it was no use. She was past the ability to even speak anymore. The water slowly crept further and further up the shore, but the two girls didn't even notice. Their minds were full of images of Harry Potter, their loving father. The tide was in by the time they were aware of their surroundings again. Waves crashed all around them. It was getting harder and harder to stay still in the raging ocean . . .

Dade stared into the taunted water. He longed to become part of it, to let the waves wash away his problems. He was entranced by the peaks rising closer and closer to him. The ocean was furious; the water was nearly up to the dock. Waves crashed and roared all around. He had seen the last of this pain. Dade dove head-first into the emerald water, imagining he was gazing into his father's loving eyes . . .

Veronica and Vada gasped for air. They were pulled out further from the shore by the raging sea. They were fearful, but deep down they knew that they would be with their father soon. The waves seemed to be washing away their problems as they were pulled under the furious water. All they could hear was the deafening roar around them as life speed out of their grasp. Veronica grabbed hold of her sister's hand as the tide took their lives.

Dade's mind raced one last time. He thought of the last words his father ever said to him. Harry was strong, stronger than Hermione. Upon hearing Hermione's explanations to Dade, Harry beckoned his only son close to him. He feebly whispered into his son's ear . . .

'_No, heaven's not a place that you go when you die_

_It's that moment in life when you touch her and you feel alive_

_So live for the moment_

_And take this advice, live by every word_

_Love's completely real, so forget anything that you've heard_

_and live for the moment now'_

Harry loved Hermione more than life itself. They built a perfect life together in the short time they were married. To Harry, he lived a full life. He wasn't needed in this world anymore. His family would be reunited one day . . . much sooner than he expected. Harry Potter, The-Man-  
Who-Died-To-Save-The-World.

Dade let every memory of his father fill his mind before life left him. He realized that love was real; it was so strong within him that he couldn't bear living in a world filled with so much hatred.


End file.
